


The Burden on Her Heart

by kaj13



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Love Letters, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-31 17:24:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19430635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaj13/pseuds/kaj13
Summary: Corrin has a secret crush, and it is bad.





	The Burden on Her Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! I meant to post this for Leo's birthday, but alas, I'm thirty minutes late. Anyway, this is just a short fic that takes place in the Revelation path of Fates.

Corrin couldn't stop tripping over her words and fumbling with her papers during the meeting. This was the first war meeting with all of the Hoshidan and Nohrian royals present, and the poor princess was a bundle of nerves.

_Focus, Corrin,_ she told herself. It was crucial for everyone to understand the threat they were up against, but it was hard to ignore how her heart started racing every time she met the eyes of a certain young man. She hoped she wasn't blushing too hard, but she just couldn't help it.

Yes, she had somehow developed a crush, but she couldn't allow that to distract her from the war. Besides, she really shouldn't be feeling this way, anyway. He'd be disgusted if he ever found out she thought of him that way. Everyone would be disgusted.

Corrin was relieved when the meeting adjourned. She'd had difficulty focusing and she knew it was obvious to everyone. Hopefully they'd just assume she was stressed with her duties as their leader; it was true to a degree, after all.

Corrin headed for her tree house right after she left the meeting, but someone called for her.

"Lady Corrin!" Jakob jogged to catch up with her. He bowed. "Milady."

Corrin turned to him. "Hello, Jakob. Is something the matter?"

"Forgive me, milady, but you seem a little unwell," Jakob observed. "Might I recommend some rest and a cup of tea?" Jakob was overly attentive to Corrin's well-being, so she shouldn't have been too surprised that he'd noticed her odd behavior.

She smiled weakly. "Tea sounds wonderful, Jakob. Thank you. I think I'll feel better after some rest." _Hopefully I'll be able to think straight again and banish these silly thoughts from my mind._

"If not, might I suggest having Lady Elise or Lady Sakura examine you. It wouldn't do for-"

"I'm fine, Jakob," Corrin interrupted quickly. "I'm just overly tired. Thank you for your concern, though."

"As you say," was Jakob's clipped remark. "What sort of tea would you like me to prepare?"

"Black. That one helps you sleep, right?" Corrin certainly needed all the help she could get with sleeping.

Jakob's lips twitched in suppressed amusement; she'd probably gotten her types of tea wrong again. "No, milady. Black tea helps you stay awake."

"Oh."

"Might I suggest chamomile tea instead?" Jakob continued politely. "That one is known to help people sleep."

Corrin nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes. That would be perfect."

"…need to assess the tactics of the armies." Corrin's heart leapt at the sound of _his_ voice.

_I have to get out of here before I do something stupid._

"Uh, I'll see you in my room, Jakob," Corrin called out before scampering off. She wasn't in a good frame of mind to make any decisions at the moment.

_The sooner I get over him, the better._

* * *

The next morning, Azura found Corrin laying in the grass, a white daisy clutched to her chest. Well, what was left of a daisy, at least. About half of the petals had been torn off and were scattered around Corrin's fair hair.

"Corrin, what in the world are you doing?" Azura asked her friend.

Corrin yelped and turned her gaze to Azura. "A-Azura? Nothing." She quickly got to her feet and brushed petals off of herself. She twisted the mangled daisy in her hands.

"Oh, were you doing a flower fortune?" Azura asked.

Corrin blushed and glanced away sheepishly. "Uh… maybe…" she mumbled. She hid the flower behind her back. "But enough about that. How are you doing this morning?"

Azura cocked her head to the side. "I'm fine, thank you. But _you_ don't seem to be fine. What's going on, Corrin?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine," Corrin answered too quickly. "I'm fine, I swear. Don't worry about me."

_It seems all I do is worry about you sometimes._

"Corrin, I'm here to help you, no matter what the problem is," Azura told her friend. "Please tell me what's wrong."

Corrin shook her head. "It's nothing major, so don't worry about it."

Azura placed a hand gently on her friend's shoulder. "Corrin…" _Please open up to me._

Corrin said it was nothing major, but she clearly needed to talk about it. She buried her face in her hands and moaned. "I'm so embarrassed. I shouldn't be having this issue right now…"

Azura tried to think of what Corrin needed to hear. "You shouldn't be embarrassed that you're struggling; that's part of life," she said gently. "I'm here to listen, if you want to talk. I won't judge you, Corrin, no matter what you say."

Corrin was silent and focused on the daisy in her hands. Her shoulders sagged under whatever burden she was dealing with. After a moment, she spoke hesitantly. "I… have a crush on… on someone," she admitted.

Azura hid a small smile. She'd suspected as much. "What's wrong with that, Corrin?" she asked. "It's totally natural to like someone; there's nothing to be embarrassed about. You should tell him how you feel."

Corrin shook her head vigorously. "No… there's no way I'm actually telling him. He'd be _disgusted_ if he knew." Azura could hear the raw pain in her voice.

"Corrin, have confidence in yourself," Azura encouraged. "You have a lot to offer, and I don't think anyone would be disgusted by your love."

Corrin's cheeks turned red. "I didn't say I _love_ him; I just like him. A lot," she added. Her blush deepened, and she covered her face with her hands again.

_Oh, Corrin._ "I think that's really sweet," Azura told her. "What are you worried about?"

"This isn't how it's supposed to be. I shouldn't feel this way about him," Corrin whispered. "It's _wrong_."

Azura rubbed soothing circles into Corrin's shoulder. "Why do you say that?" When Corrin didn't reply, she hesitantly asked, "Is he married?" Loving a married man _would_ be a bit of a problem.

Corrin looked up in surprise. "No."

"That's good… Is he engaged to someone else?" Azura didn't want to ask it, but it was another reason she could think of why Corrin was denying her feelings.

Corrin bit her lip. "Not that I know of." Clearly she didn't like the idea of him getting engaged to someone else.

Azura was at a bit of a loss. "So, why is it wrong for you to like him?"

Corrin looked down and twisted the mangled daisy in her fingers. "It… it's…" She mumbled something incoherent. Probably his name.

Azura stroked Corrin's hair. "What was that, Corrin?"

Corrin took a deep breath and said in a pained whisper, "It's Leo. I have a stupid crush on Leo."

_Leo? She likes Leo? Well, that's…_ Azura stood there in stunned silence for a few moments. Corrin and Leo had grown up thinking they were siblings. And while they weren't actually related, the Nohrian royals still considered Corrin as their sister.

Corrin looked up and met her gaze. "It's okay if you think it's terrible. Like I said, I'm trying to get over him. And I promise I won't… do anything." She sniffled and blinked back tears. "Why, Azura? Why do I have a problem with this, of all things?"

Her breath hitched, and Azura pulled the other woman into her arms. "Sh. It's okay."

Corrin started crying into her shoulder. "No, it's not... this is wrong on so many levels…" Azura stroked her hair while she continued to speak through her tears. "I've never felt like this about anyone before… I don't know how this happened…" Azura hummed her lullaby softly in an attempt to help soothe Corrin. After several agonizing minutes, Corrin pulled herself together.

She pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Azura… for listening and… and not judging me…"

Azura hugged her again. "Of course, Corrin. You're my dear friend. I hate seeing you hurt like this."

"Sorry for worrying you… I just need to wait until l get over him, then things can return to normal…"

"But what if you _don't_ get over him?"

"I have to, Azura. I have to. Leo can't know that I want him to hold me… to be with him, to kiss him." The adoration was clear in her voice. "And if I don't get over him, he'll figure it out… And then he won't want to see me anymore."

"Corrin, I think you should tell him," Azura said.

Corrin pulled out of Azura's embrace. "No way! Why would you say something like that?"

Azura chose her words carefully. "Well, how would you feel like Leo fell in love with someone else and married her?"

Corrin's face paled. "It would break my heart…"

_I think this is a little more than a simple crush._ "Corrin, be honest with me. Do you love him?"

Corrin caught her breath. "I…" She bowed her head in defeat. "I think I do love him."

Azura smiled gently. "You know what? That's okay. He's not your brother and he's not married, so it's okay that you love him."

Corrin flushed and smiled sheepishly. "You really think so?"

Azura nodded. Perhaps this was unexpected, but she supported her friend wholeheartedly. She took the daisy out of Corrin's fingers. "Now, stop doing flower fortunes and just tell Leo how you feel. You might be pleasantly surprised with the results."

Corrin didn't look confident about it going well, but she nodded. "I'll try."

* * *

Leo found Corrin at the training grounds, sparring with Xander. She definitely had grown in agility, strength, and confidence since her days in the Northern Fortress. Leo was impressed by how much she'd improved. It was actually a little soothing to watch her. Her moves were so graceful that she looked like she was dancing with the blade. Beautiful wasn't eloquent enough to describe her.

Her eyes caught Leo's, and she lost her focus. Xander's slash came in hard with his practice sword and hit her arm with a loud smack. A cry of pain escaped her lips, and she dropped her sword.

Xander lowered his practice sword. "What happened, little princess? You were doing so well."

Corrin flushed and bit her lip. "Sorry, Xander. My concentration slipped." She rubbed her arm and groaned. "Oh, that's going to leave a bruise."

"Perhaps Elise could take a look at it?" Leo suggested, walking over to them. It probably wasn't serious, but Corrin needed to be at her best for battle.

Corrin shrugged. "I've had worse, but if the pain doesn't go away, I'll find Elise." Leo highly doubted she would get medical attention, even if her arm were broken.

Corrin cleared her throat. "Anyway, did you need something, Leo? Or are you just here to train?"

Leo leaned back against the wall. "I'll just observe for now. Your style has changed a lot since the Northern Fortress, so I'd like to watch you practice." Perhaps Leo had gone to the training grounds with the intention to train, but he was curious about Corrin's new abilities with the sword.

Corrin's face was flushed. "Okay. Maybe you could tell me how I can improve."

"You can improve by not dropping your sword," Leo pointed out. "You can't afford to lose your concentration on the battlefield just because I show up."

Corrin's face fell a little. "R-Right." Normally she would have just laughed off Leo's snide remark.

Leo rolled his eyes and sighed. "Corrin, I'm teasing."

"Y-Yeah. I know," she stuttered. She returned her focus to Xander. "Okay. I'm ready."

Something was off about this duel. Corrin lacked her previous grace, and her hands were shaking. Was she that upset by Leo's remark? Xander easily disarmed her within seconds.

Corrin was gasping. "I yield. You win again, Xander."

Neither Xander nor Leo seemed to know what to say. Corrin hadn't done that badly in a very long time.

"I'm sorry," she murmured after an awkward silence. "I think I'm finished with training for now," she said. She put away the practice sword and left the training grounds without waiting for a reply.

Leo felt like he'd been slapped. This wasn't the first time she'd acted strange around him since he joined her forces. Sometimes she'd leave shortly after he arrived to an area, and she'd pointedly ignored him during yesterday's war meeting. Leo hadn't perfectly understood Corrin before, but now he didn't feel like he understood her at all.

"I'm worried about her. I'm going to check on her," Xander said after another awkward silence.

Leo nodded. "I'll stay behind. I have a feeling she doesn't want to see me right now." That hurt more than he'd thought it would. Even when he'd been angry with Corrin after she left Nohr, he'd still missed her. And now that she appeared to be avoiding him, he missed her even more.

Xander rested his hand on Leo's shoulder. "We can't know if that's true."

Leo brushed him off. "Just go talk to your precious little princess," he snapped.

"Leo…"

Leo swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Perhaps I spoke too harshly. Forgive me, Brother. If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

Xander sighed. "I would like to speak with you later, Leo."

"Of course."

It seemed that neither of them knew what to say after that, so they both went their separate ways.

Leo wandered over to the grove of trees. He found solace in their dark shade away from everyone else. He belonged in the darkness, after all. He always had and he always would. He'd been a fool to think otherwise.

* * *

Corrin knew that she shouldn't let Leo's comment about not getting distracted by him bother her like that. But she was scared; what if he knew how she felt about him? And he was right; she couldn't afford to lose her focus like that again. It would probably be best if they didn't interact anymore.

No, she wouldn't think about that again. She'd only start crying and she'd done that once today. She needed to hold it together for the sake of everyone.

_What if I get distracted by Leo on the battlefield? What if he's in danger…? I can't let anything happen to him._

Corrin felt the start of tears well up in her eyes. _Rats._ She quickly wiped them away before anyone could see. It wouldn't do for half of the army to see her running away from the training grounds in tears. She should focus on the army, not on a certain infuriating dark prince who made her heart start racing even at the thought of him…

"Corrin! Corrin!"

She turned and saw Xander jogging over to her. She cursed her stupid heart for skipping a beat in hopes that it was _him_.

Her throat felt too tight, but she did her best to pretend that nothing was amiss. "Xander, what is it?" she asked as calmly as she could manage.

"May I accompany you?"

Corrin just nodded and continued on her way. She wasn't really sure where she was going anyway.

After a few minutes of silence, Xander spoke. "How are you holding up, Corrin? I know you shoulder a heavy burden. Is there a way I could lessen your load?"

Corrin swallowed nervously. Just how much had Xander pieced together? "I'm… all right. Better than I have been."

Xander frowned. "I'm glad to hear that you've improved, but don't push yourself too far. Mind your limits, little princess," he said kindly. "It wouldn't do for our leader to push herself beyond what she can achieve alone."

"Sorry, Xander. I'll try to act more like a leader in the future. I shouldn't have left training like that."

Xander waved the issue away. "Worry not, little princess. We all understand that you're quite busy."

_If only it were that simple…_ "Xander, does Leo hate me?" she blurted out in a hoarse whisper. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stop more tears from coming. It was perfectly reasonable and expected for Leo to hate her. She had left Nohr without a backwards glance and had betrayed his trust.

"No, Leo does not hate you, Corrin," Xander answered without hesitation. "Why would you ask that? Did Leo do something to upset you again?"

Corrin shook her head; the last thing she wanted was Xander interfering in this mess. And she didn't want Xander to reprimand Leo for something she couldn't explain. "I'm just being overly sensitive again."

Xander frowned. "Don't put all of the blame on yourself just so Leo won't get in trouble."

"We're adults now; we can work it out on our own." She gave her brother a small smile. "I appreciate your concern, but don't worry about this."

"I'm your older brother; of course it's my concern." Corrin was not surprised that Xander would say something like that. "But I won't interfere if that is what you wish."

Corrin sighed in relief. If Xander found out how she felt about Leo, he wouldn't react well. "Thank you."

"I do have a question for you, though," Xander said.

Corrin glanced up at him. "What is it?"

He scratched his chin. "Well, perhaps not a question exactly, but an observation. Now I know he would deny it, but I think your sudden departure from the training grounds hurt Leo's feelings."

Corrin felt like she'd been stabbed. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Leo in any way. She covered her mouth with her hand. "No. I… I didn't mean to…"

Xander grimaced. "Oh, I know you didn't. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I thought you ought to know."

Corrin was gasping for breath. She knew what she had to do, but she was terrified of facing Leo alone, especially since she'd grown too attached to the prince. But if avoiding him was hurting him, then she very well couldn't do that. She pressed her hand against her chest and felt the pounding of her heart.

"Corrin?" Xander asked in concern.

"Where is he?" she whispered. "Do you know where Leo is?"

"He left the training grounds, claiming he had business to attend to." Xander placed a hand on her shoulder. "My apologies- I didn't mean to upset you."

Corrin took a deep breath. "I know. You didn't upset me, Big Brother. I just have some things I need to work through."

"Well, if I can help in any way…"

Corrin shook her head and smiled softly at his offer. "This is a personal matter that I need to work through on my own. But thank you for the offer."

"Of course. Now that I'm with you again, I'll do whatever is in my power to support you."

"Oh, I'll probably take you up on that." Corrin sighed. "But do you have any idea where he might be?"

"Hm. Perhaps the library, but I honestly have no idea."

"That's okay… I'll go look for him myself. I'll see you later, Brother!"

Xander smiled at her warmly, like he used to before the war started. "Goodbye, Corrin. And good luck."

* * *

Corrin spent the rest of the evening searching for Leo. He wasn't in the library, his room in the barracks, nor in the mess hall. Out of desperation, she finally asked Niles where his liege was. Part of the reason she'd avoided Niles was that she knew he would have plenty to say about her search for Leo. She found Leo's retainer in the mess hall before dinner was served.

"Niles, do you know where Leo is?" she asked.

Of course he grinned eerily at her. "Maybe. It depends on why you're looking for Lord Leo. Up to anything naughty?"

Corrin flushed. Hopefully Niles didn't know about her secret affection for Leo; she'd never hear the end of it otherwise. "Just answer the question," she ordered.

"He's sulking in that grove of trees. But I think some smooches would cheer him up," Niles teased.

Corrin was positive that her face was bright red now. Niles hopefully didn't have any idea how much she wanted to shower Leo with kisses. For a moment, she imagined it in a wistful fantasy. But she had to come back to reality.

"Thank you, Niles. I'll see you later," she called out as she left for the grove.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the ground. The grove was dark, but Corrin could see why Leo would retreat here. It was peaceful, in a way.

Corrin took a deep breath. "Okay. I can do this," she whispered to herself. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She hoped she didn't do anything stupid in front of Leo. She didn't want to ruin their relationship more than she already had.

"Leo?" she called out as she entered the grove. "Are you in here? It's me, Corrin. I just wanted to talk…" The air was too still here, and she felt self-conscious calling out for Leo in the dark like this. "Leo?"

She heard something move off to her left. She felt relieved when she realized it was Leo in his armor. "Leo!" she called out before rushing over to him. She stopped short of embracing him; she feared she'd do something stupid if she did that. As it was, she felt heat rush to her face. She prayed that Leo wouldn't notice her blush in the dim lighting.

Leo cleared his throat before speaking. "Hello, Corrin. You wanted to chat?"

She nodded. "Yes, if now is a good time."

His expression was unreadable, but that was normal for Leo; he'd learned at a young age to hide his emotions for his own protection in the Nohrian court. Corrin did worry that he kept too many emotions inside. What was he thinking right now?

"…Corrin?"

Corrin startled when she'd realized she'd zoned out while he was talking. She blinked. "Sorry?"

He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. "Were you paying any attention just now?"

Corrin fidgeted with a lock of hair and glanced away sheepishly. "Sorry, I got distracted." _By you. Do you know how beautiful you are?_ She realized that she was staring at him like a lovesick fool again and hurried to correct herself.

"Well, _do_ you want to talk? I have other things to attend to if not-"

"Wait, no!" Corrin waved her hands in front of him. "Don't go…"

Leo studied her face for a moment before he spoke again. "I'll stay for now."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." She flashed him a smile.

"Of course. Now, what's on your mind?"

Corrin still didn't know how to go about saying this. But Azura was right; she couldn't bear this burden on her heart silently any longer. "I want to apologize for earlier," she began. "I was needlessly rude to you at the training grounds, and I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology, Corrin. But I would like to know if I did something to provoke you? You've been acting strange lately…"

_Oh, no! He's going to figure it out!_

"Um… I've been under a lot of stress lately, and yeah…" she mumbled. That was a horrible excuse.

"You were doing fine before I showed up," Leo noted.

There was no way Corrin could rationally explain her behavior. She held her breath and exhaled slowly. "I don't know what came over me back there. I'm sorry," she finally said.

"So you don't hate me?" Leo verified.

Corrin froze. Leo thought she _hated_ him? _I have a lot of damage control to do._

"Leo," she began softly. "I don't hate you. I've never hated you; you're my best friend. I… I'll always love you." Heat rushed to her cheeks as she said that. She was getting dangerously close to confessing that she loved him in a way that was different from sibling love. Maybe he'd already figured it out.

Leo was quiet and didn't seem to know how to respond to that particular statement. There was an awkward silence. Corrin turned away, so he wouldn't see the blush on her face, and also so she wouldn't have to see Leo's reaction to what she'd said. She'd definitely spoken too rashly.

"I've wasted enough of your time, so I'll be going now," Corrin finally said. "Goodnight, Leo," she said as she started walking away.

"So you're already back to avoiding me?" The words cut like a knife.

Corrin whirled around with wide eyes. "No, of course not! I just thought you were tired of my presence."

Leo grimaced. "I apologize for giving you that impression, Corrin." He ran his long fingers through his hair. "The truth is, I like spending time with you. I… I've missed you."

Corrin's heart was pounding like a drum. "I've missed you, too." _More than you know._ "And I'm sorry for avoiding you lately. I promise I'll be a better friend for you… And maybe we could spend some time together like old times?" For a horrible moment, she worried that Leo would refuse her request. If he only knew how she really felt about him, he'd want to avoid her for the rest of their lives.

"I'd like that," was his immediate answer.

"Thank you, Leo!" Before she could restrain herself, Corrin pecked his cheek. They used to do that as children, so it wasn't too weird, right?

Leo froze, and Corrin was terrified that he'd figured her secret out. _Great going, Corrin. Now you really blew it,_ she thought bitterly. She really was a hopeless case. She took several steps away from him and tried to hide her beet red face.

He cleared his throat after a moment. "So I'll see you around, then?" He was giving her an easy escape from this awkward situation.

"Yeah, I'll see you around," Corrin murmured. "Goodnight, Leo." She dashed off before she did anything else stupid.

* * *

Felicia brushed through Corrin's hair before the princess retired to bed. They were alone in the privacy of Corrin's room, so they could speak more openly with each other. Corrin felt like they'd become good friends during their travels over the past months.

"How was your day, Lady Corrin?" Felicia asked. Well, getting her to drop the formalities was still a work in progress.

Corrin giggled. "Felicia, it's just us. Please feel free to simply call me Corrin. We're friends, not just lady and maid."

"Oh, sorry, Corrin. It's just a really hard habit to break."

"Don't worry. And to answer your question, my day was actually really good." Corrin felt so relieved that she'd made up with Leo.

"Mm. What made it so great?" Felicia asked as she worked through Corrin's hair.

"I made up with an old friend." Corrin smiled. There was hope for them yet.

Felicia regarded Corrin's expression with a smirk. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone was in love," she hinted.

Corrin turned bright red. "Felicia, why would you think that?" she gasped.

"Sorry, but you look like someone just gifted you the moon." Felicia grinned. "Now who is this? You'll tell me, right?" She looked overly eager to hear all of the details.

Corrin turned away and tried to figure out how to get out of this corner. "I… um…"

She was saved by a knock at the door. Her heart skipped a beat when she wondered if it was a certain dark prince.

"Corrin, it's me, Azura. Please let me in. I think I've figured out how to help you with your problem."

She jumped up and ran to the door before Felicia could. "Azura, please come in."

Azura was beaming as she stepped. "Thank you, Corrin. This isn't a bad time, is it?"

Corrin shook her head. "Of course not. Felicia was just helping me retire for bed."

"Would you like me to leave, milady?" Felicia asked.

Corrin hesitated. She wanted as few people as possible to know about her infatuation with Leo, but Felicia was her friend and confidant. And Corrin could use all the support she could get. "You can stay, Felicia. Just… what we talk about stays a secret between the three of us, okay?"

Felicia made a motion of zipping her lips.

Corrin pulled out a chair for Azura. Felicia sat at the vanity, and Corrin sat cross-legged on her bed.

Corrin took a deep breath. "So, I might like someone a little bit," she confessed.

Azura giggled and tried to cover it with a cough. "Sorry, it's just I'd say it's a lot more than a little bit."

Felicia squealed. "Oh, that's so adorable, Lady Corrin! Who is it?"

Corrin tried in vain to hide behind her hands. "I… I, um…"

"It's okay, Corrin; we're here for you," Azura reminded her.

Corrin took a deep breath. This was her second time confessing her feelings, but it wasn't getting much easier. "It's Leo. I like Leo," she said lamely. "And not in the way that I should, seeing that we grew up thinking we were siblings."

Felicia's mouth formed a small oh, and then she smiled. "That's really sweet, Corrin. He'd be good for you."

"That's what I told her, too," Azura commented. "But Corrin is convinced that loving him is a moral sin and that he'd never return her feelings."

Felicia got up and embraced Corrin. "Oh, Lady Corrin. Don't give up hope. Is Lord Leo who you were talking about earlier?"

"Y-Yeah... But it's fine. I'll just stay friends with him, and he'll never know." Even to her own ears, Corrin didn't sound very certain.

Felicia released Corrin and exchanged a glance with Azura. "You mentioned a plan, Lady Azura?"

Azura was beaming again. Corrin had a feeling she wasn't going to like her plan one bit.

"Love letters."

"L-Love letters?!" Corrin gasped. "Are you out of your mind? There's no way I could… He'd figure it out; Leo knows my handwriting."

"Well, have someone else write them for you," Azura suggested.

Corrin wrung her hands. "Agh! I can't do that, Azura! I just got back to a good place with Leo; I don't want to ruin it."

"C-Corrin, maybe I could help?" Felicia suggested. "Lord Leo won't recognize my handwriting, right? And I already know about your secret affections, so you wouldn't have to let anyone else know."

Corrin pondered the idea. "I don't think he would recognize your handwriting… but Leo's a genius; I know he'd figure it out sooner or later."

Azura came over and sat next to Corrin on the bed. "Would it be such a bad thing if Leo found out how you really feel?" she asked. "If you don't say anything, you might have to watch him fall in love with someone else."

Corrin cringed. The thought of watching Leo fall for someone else was agonizing. That might break her heart even more than his rejection would. _Well, it's worth a shot, I suppose. I just hope Leo forgives me for falling in love with him._

"I'll do it," she decided. _I just hope he doesn't hate me…_

Both Azura and Felicia were too enthusiastic about their plan. "I'll go get paper and a pen right now," Felicia announced. "Just wait one moment, milady." In her eagerness, she tripped on her way to the door.

Azura helped her up. "Maybe I should come with you." Her locked eyes with Corrin's. "And don't you dare leave this room before we get back; or else, I'll tell Leo myself."

Corrin crossed her arms and perched on her bed. "I'll be waiting right here."

"Good."

Azura and Felicia were back in record time with a stack of stationary.

Felicia sat down at the desk and held the pen ready. "I'll act as your scribe, Lady Corrin. What do you want me to write?"

"Uh… Wait, is that _pink_ stationary?"

Azura giggled. "This is a _love letter_ , Corrin. We're going all out on this."

Corrin paced the room nervously. "How do I even start it?" _Dear Leo? Dearest Leo? My Dear Leo?_ She shook her head at those ideas. "I don't want to come off as too sappy."

"Perhaps we should consult Camilla, but I'm pretty sure that love letters are supposed to be sappy," Azura commented. "Maybe writing a love song would be better?"

Corrin shook her head. "No, I'd do a letter over a song any day." She sighed. "Let's get this over with." Like before, she was too mortified to even begin to dictate the letter.

"Um, could I offer a suggestion?" Felicia asked timidly.

"Of course, Felicia."

Felicia fidgeted with her thumbs. "Well, maybe you could write the letter yourself, and then I could make a copy of it? You could destroy the original. That way you wouldn't have to dictate the entire thing in front of us."

Corrin pondered it for a moment. It was certainly better than saying everything she wanted to tell Leo out loud in front of her friends. "That's a good idea, actually. I feel much better doing that," she decided. "Could you both give me some privacy, please?"

Felicia jumped up to obey her request. "Of course, milady."

Azura gave Corrin one last hug before leaving. "Just speak from your heart."

* * *

_Dear Leo,_

_I must confess that I love you in the way that a woman loves a man, despite so many reasons I should not. I know that you probably will never return my feelings, so to spare both of us the shame, I am writing you anonymously. You're the most incredible man I know, and I'm so grateful to have met you. I adore everything about you. Know that you will always have my support, even though I must keep my affections a secret._

_Love,_

_A Secret Admirer_

Leo had to reread the letter five times before he could process that he was the recipient of a _love_ _letter_ , of all things. He'd had no inkling that anyone was really interested in him to begin with, and he couldn't help but wonder who had written the letter. Whoever she was, she did not want him to know her identity.

That is, if this letter was legitimate and not a prank from his retainers.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" he muttered as he folded the letter and put the pink paper in his pocket.

Niles couldn't contain his curiosity anymore. "Who's it from? And what's it say?" he asked, leaning in too close to Leo's personal space.

Leo shoved him away. "It appears to be a love letter, signed by 'A Secret Admirer.'" He quirked an eyebrow at Niles. "You didn't have anything to do with this, did you? You were the one who found it, after all."

Niles grinned. "I've had nothing to do with your love letter, milord. Who knew that you of all people would get one of those?"

Leo gave him a dirty look. "I'm aware of that, which is why I suspect that it is a fake," he concluded. It was better to believe this was a hoax, instead of getting his hopes up. And he might not even return this woman's feelings, regardless.

Niles shook his head. "Oh, I don't know about that. Looks to me like someone has it bad for you." He held out his hand. "If you let me take a look, I may be able to track down your secret admirer."

Leo frowned. He did not want Niles reading any love letter he ever got, real or fake. "No, that won't be necessary. This woman obviously doesn't want to be identified, so I will respect her wishes and leave it be." He shot Niles a look. "As should you."

Niles's grin widened. "Is that an order, Lord Leo?"

"A strong request." Leo wouldn't object to knowing the author of the letter, after all.

"Alright." Leo knew that Niles would try to find his secret admirer even if he was specifically ordered not to.

Leo set his headband in place and tried to ignore his burning curiosity about the origins of his love letter. He didn't mention it to anyone, but he wasn't surprised when the rumors started.

Well, it was more like he got bombarded by a mob during lunch. A mob that consisted of Camilla, Elise, Niles, and Odin.

Leo was seated at a table by himself, but it seemed that he wouldn't get the solitude he desired.

"Big Brother! Is it true?! Did you get a love letter this morning?" Elise was practically jumping up and down. "What did it say? What did it say?"

Leo felt his face grow warm. This was not something he wished to discuss with anyone right now. "It's none of your business, Elise."

Camilla grinned. "Of course it's our business! If our precious brother has a chance at romance, we want to know. What have you done to find her?"

Leo glared down at his half-eaten tomato sandwich. "Nothing. And I'm not going to do anything."

Elise groaned and leaned over him. "Seriously?! What is wrong with you? If you ignore the letter, you're sure to break her heart."

"She doesn't want me to know," Leo countered. "So I don't see why I should find out."

"Well, aren't you the least bit interested?" Camilla inquired.

"I have more pressing matters to worry about." Leo stood. "Now, I'm quite finished with this interrogation."

None of them were having that. "I offer my assistance in unveiling the fair lady whose heart burns with ardor for my dark lord," Odin insisted. The way he said that just made Leo blush harder.

"Ooh! I'm going to help, too!" Elise squealed. "This'll be fun!"

Leo groaned. Why did he have to deal with this on top of everything? "I'm not interested right now." He pushed past Niles. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" He hurried away before anyone could stop him.

Laslow was the next person to intercept him. "Congratulations, Lord Leo!" he cheered as he approached on the castle grounds.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Congratulations for what exactly?"

Laslow's smile grew. "You've captured the heart of some maiden… When will you make your move, milord?"

"M-My move?!" Leo shook his head. "I'm not making any moves, as far as I'm concerned. I don't have time to deal with this."

Laslow was pensive. "You know, I think I should try my hand at writing love letters, too. Thank you for the inspiration, milord." He sauntered off before Leo could think of a response to that comment.

Leo subconsciously made his way back to the grove of trees. He didn't want to be around anyone at the moment.

Of course, there was someone already there. She was perched on a boulder, deep in thought.

"Corrin."

She jumped and placed a hand over her heart. "Oh, Leo… You surprised me," she said breathlessly. "Did you need something?"

"No. I was just looking for some solitude."

She hopped off the rock. "Oh, I can leave, if you want…"

Leo waved her offer aside. "You were here first, and I don't mind _your_ company."

Her cheeks flushed, and she sat back down. "Well, okay…" She scooted over. "Would you like to join me?"

"Sure." Leo sat next to her on the boulder and sighed. Today had been more stressful than he'd anticipated. Everyone was making a bigger deal about the anonymous love letter than they needed to.

"You okay?" Corrin asked. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I'll listen."

Leo ran his fingers through his hair. "You're not going to ask me about it, then?"

She looked startled. "What are you talking about?"

"The love letter. I assume you've already heard. Seems the whole army is in on it."

Corrin's cheeks reddened. "O-Oh. Yes, I'd heard, but I don't want to pry…" She tucked a lock of silvery hair behind a pointed ear.

Leo shrugged. "It's fine, I guess."

"You seem upset," she observed.

Was he upset? He was certainly annoyed with everyone butting in his business, but… "I don't know. Everyone has been trying to force me to do something, but I don't have any inclination to. So I'm annoyed about that." He shook his head. "I'm just confused about the letter. I don't think anyone would actually have feelings for me, so I think it's probably some sick joke."

Corrin's face fell. "Why would you say that about yourself? I think any girl would consider herself lucky to be with you."

Leo sighed. "Well, yes, I suppose. I am royalty, after all." From his limited experiences, Leo had noticed that most young ladies were more interested in Leo's social status, instead of Leo himself. Well, not that there had been many girls interested in him to begin with. Leo knew he couldn't compare with the likes of Xander. Xander, with his tall form, rippling muscles, and first in line to the throne… he was any woman's dream man. Leo just felt like second to his older brother in basically anything. Why would anyone be romantically interested in Leo when Xander was available?

"Leo?" Corrin placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him out of such thoughts. "You're so much more than just a prince. You're clever and caring, even if you won't admit it. You do your best to serve your people. And you're a brilliant tactician." She giggled softly. "Is there any problem you can't figure out a solution to?" Trust Corrin to always look for the positive in a situation. She was smiling softly and gazing at her hands. "You really are an incredible person."

Her words did cheer him up somewhat, but Leo couldn't forget that he would always be in Xander's shadow no matter what he did. "Yes, but I could never compare to Xander or you-"

Corrin's eyes darted up to meet his. The red irises glistened with the start of tears. "Don't talk about yourself like that," she demanded. "Yes, you're not Xander or… or me, but why would anyone want you to be? You're _you_ , Leo, and I like you just the way you are." She embraced him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. "Please don't ever doubt your worth."

Leo gulped nervously. It had been a long time since Corrin had hugged him like this, and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. So much had changed since the war had started, and his relationship with Corrin wasn't the same as before.

_I'll probably hurt her feelings if I don't hug her back._

He hesitated briefly before returning her hug. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned into the sweet scent of her hair. "Thank you, Corrin." Her presence was soothing, and Leo found his stress melting away.

"Leo?" Corrin whispered his name.

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Leo found himself smiling. This reminded him of old times when she'd come to him with questions about what she'd read, since she couldn't go out of the fortress and experience it for herself. "Certainly," he told her.

"Um… it's about that letter…"

Leo found that he didn't mind it much when Corrin was the one asking about that letter. "What about it?"

"Would you be angry if that letter was sincere? If someone truly felt that way about you?"

The question took Leo by surprise. "No… I wouldn't be angry…" Leo actually felt her relax as he said that. He had no idea she'd be this concerned about that. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering…" she mumbled. Then, she yawned. "Can I ask you another question?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to look for her? The girl who wrote the letter?" she asked quietly.

Leo sighed; he'd heard that question way too many times today. "Not at the moment, no. She wishes to remain anonymous, and I have much more pressing matters to worry about."

"I see…" Corrin yawned again and pressed her cheek against the crook of his neck.

"Hey, you're not falling asleep on me again, are you?" Leo demanded. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a sleeping princess.

"Mm…" Well, that was basically a yes.

Leo helped her up. "C'mon. If you're going to nap, at least do it in your own bed."

Corrin blinked up at him with bleary eyes. Her sleepy expression was sort of cute. "It's not that you're boring; I'm just really tired…"

Leo snorted. "Well, that's a relief that I'm not a bore." On impulse, he scooped her up into his arms.

Corrin's eyes went wide, and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. "L-Leo?!" she gasped. "What are you-"

"Corrin, don't hold me so tightly," Leo grunted. _What was I thinking?_

She blushed and relaxed her death grip. "Sorry."

"You're a lot heavier with your armor on," Leo commented.

Corrin scowled. "H-Hey! Don't be rude about my weight. You shouldn't have picked me up if you couldn't handle it."

"Oh, I can handle it," Leo replied. He smirked and bounced her lightly.

"S-Stop it!" She giggled. "You've made your point, okay? I know you're strong enough to carry me."

Her bright eyes sparkled with mirth, and she was pleasantly warm in his arms, despite her armor. Leo was reminded once again that his childhood best friend and adopted sister had grown into this beautiful young woman. _If we weren't raised to think we were siblings…_

Corrin interrupted that thought, which was probably a good thing. "Um, Leo? Why are you staring at my face? Do I have something on it?"

Leo felt heat rush to his cheeks. He hadn't meant to gawk at her like an idiot. _It's just because we haven't seen each other in a long time. That's all._

Leo cleared his throat. "My apologies. I was lost in thought."

Corrin laughed lightly. "Okay. You can put me down now, you know?"

_Ugh. I really am acting like a complete fool. What has gotten into me?_

Leo helped her stand on her own two feet again. Her eyes were still wide with shock, and her cheeks were much pinker than usual. Leo realized with a start that he was making her feel uncomfortable. He hastily let go of her.

She stumbled slightly before regaining her balance. "Th-thanks," she murmured. She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek briefly, just like she had last night. Her lips were soft on his skin and left Leo's heart racing. She gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Leo didn't mind at all, and his mind traitorously wondered what it would feel like if she kissed his lips… He suddenly felt too hot, even standing in the shade of the trees. He could try it, but Corrin would probably slap him. And with good reason, too.

Corrin's eyes were wide with horror, as if she could read his thoughts. "Forgive me," she gasped in a trembling voice. Leo thought he saw the start of tears in her mesmerizing eyes. She looked ready to flee, but he didn't want her to go in this state.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a firm embrace. She gasped, but didn't resist. "Stop. You don't need to apologize," he murmured in her ear.

"I'm so embarrassed," she whispered. "I… I…"

"Sh. It's okay." Leo stroked her hair in an effort to calm her down. He hated seeing her so distraught. "What are you worried about?"

She clung tighter to him. "I don't want to lose you," she finally said. "I'm afraid I've made a terrible mistake…"

"What are you talking about?"

"N-Nothing… It's nothing."

Leo frowned. "It sure doesn't sound like nothing… Corrin, I know I haven't always been there for you when you needed me, but I'm here now. Please, don't be afraid to talk to me. I promise I won't judge you."

Corrin took a few deep breaths before she spoke again. "You'll probably hate me…"

"Never," he vowed. "I could never hate you."

"I wrote it."

"Wrote what?" _Wait, is she talking about…_

"The letter. I wrote the… love letter that you received this morning," she confessed in a trembling voice.

Leo's mind was working in overload. If she really had written the letter, then that meant… No, she couldn't mean that she was _in love_ with him; this was probably a prank that had gone too far. Although, Corrin had never done anything so cruel before.

Corrin was crying now. "I'm s-sorry," she whimpered. "I didn't mean for things to get like this. I didn't want you to find out because I knew you'd be disgusted with me. I hoped these feelings would go away, but they just get stronger each day. I love you, Leo. I love you so, so much."

Was he hearing this correctly? Was Corrin confessing her love to him? Leo's heart beat wildly. He hadn't dared to let himself hope before, but if this was true, then…

"Do- do you mean that?" Leo whispered hoarsely. "You love me?"

Corrin laughed wistfully. "Leo, I'm so in love with you. I know there's no way that you return my feelings, but I can't hide it anymore." She sighed deeply. "I understand if you don't want to see me anymore."

Leo was still trying to process this revelation. _She loves me. And I… I love her,_ he realized.

He tilted her head back so he could see her face properly. Her eyes were wide and the remains of tears clung to her eyelashes. Her cheeks were rosy, and her lips were parted ever so slightly. He had the urge to kiss her. He cradled her face with one hand and drew her closer.

"Leo…" she whispered, just before their lips met.

Their first kiss was warm and tender. It was too short, and Leo found himself already wanting more.

But first, he had a confession of his own to make. "I love you, too, Corrin."

Corrin gasped, and tears filled her eyes again. "R-Really?"

Leo pulled her in for another kiss. "Really," he said when they broke apart for air. "I just can't believe you've felt the same way all this time."

Corrin laughed again, but this time it was joyous. "I can't believe _you_ love _me_! I don't deserve to be loved by such a wonderful man." She smiled. "I'll do all I can to be worthy of your love."

Leo caressed her cheek lovingly. "Don’t think like that. Corrin, you are perfectly splendid just as you are. You are the love of my life, and I never want you to doubt that again. I'm sorry it took me so long to see it." He took a deep breath. Well, it was now or never. This was unexpected, but Leo knew what he wanted in that moment; he wanted to be with Corrin forever. _I really wish I had a ring to do this._

Leo took her hand and knelt on one knee. "I know I'm not doing this correctly, seeing I have no ring, but… Corrin, will you marry me?"

Corrin's eyes grew even wider, and she just gaped at him. For a horrible moment, Leo worried she'd reject his proposal. Then, she composed herself and nodded. "Yes, a thousand times, yes!" She grinned widely and embraced him tightly. "I can't believe you actually asked me," she laughed. "If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake from it."

"It's no dream, my love. But it sort of feels like one to me, too," Leo chuckled. "The journey may be difficult, but I swear to devote my life to your happiness."

"Oh, Leo, I promise the same," Corrin whispered. "Now, are you going to get me a ring?" she teased.

The couple was married the next month, and while they had many struggles along the way, they were happy to live their lives together as husband and wife. Despite Corrin's doubts, the love letter had worked to bring the two of them together. Corrin continued to write love letters to her husband, but she no longer needed to sign as "A Secret Admirer."


End file.
